Month: January 2016

Another Name belonging to Allaah is Al-`Afuww (the Pardoner). In the last ten nights of Ramadhaan, the Messenger (salallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) taught `Aai`shah (radiallaahu `anha) to say:
اللهم إنك عفو كريم تحب العفو فاعف عني

O Allaah! You are `Afuww (Pardoner), You love to Pardon, so Pardon me.[1]

So Allaah is the Pardoner, the One who excuses people. How is His Pardoning of the people different from the way people use this attribute? Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful. From this angle, we could say that Allaah’s Pardoning is paired with Forgiveness and Mercy.

For example, how do the people forgive? When you ask for forgiveness, is everyone always ready to forgive you? What about the people who forgave you? Do they always forgive you with complete forgiveness or do they come back later and mention what you did, although they say that they forgave you…?

When Allaah (`Azza wa Jall) forgives someone, He expunges their record, meaning he erases ones record (completely). If Allaah (`Azza wa Jall) excused you for something, you will not have to face Allaah and be asked about that thing.

اتق الله حيثما كنت وأتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها

Fear Allaah wherever you are and follow up a bad deed with a good one, it will wipe (the former) out.

One of the ways Allaah that will pardon you is if you obey what His Messenger (salallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) has guided us to. If you make Tawbah from your sin, Allaah will pardon you for your sin. He has promised us this. If you repent to Allaah sincerely, He will forgive you and He will pardon your sin. The one who has made repentance from his sin is like the one who has not sinned at all, because the Pardoning of Allaah is complete and perfect. No trace. No bad feelings. Nothing left. Allaah erases the bad deed from your record and He replaces it with a good deed. Who does that from the people? Who will pardon you, then give you credit for good things after you’ve transgressed against them? Who considers you better than what you were before (after you sought their forgiveness)? But Allaah (`Azza wa Jall) is perfect in His Pardoning, and when He Pardons you, He loves that you sought His Forgiveness. This is from the completeness of His Attribute of Pardoning[2]

[1] At-Tirmidhee in his Sunan (3513) on the authority of `Aa`ishah (radiallaahu `anha). Shaykh Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth as Saheeh in Saheeh At-Tirmidhee (3513)

Q: Some Arab newspapers and magazines dedicate pages to the horoscope, talking about zodiac signs such as Aries, Taurus, Gemini and others. They claim that people born under these signs will probably be moody because the zodiac conflicts a lot during this period. There are many things written in these pages, a copy of which is attached to the message and many Muslim youth read them. Please clarify the Islamic ruling on zodiac signs and your advice to Muslims and to those responsible for the magazines.

A: This is considered the same as divination used by fortune-tellers to inform people if they will be happy or miserable and if they should be optimistic or pessimistic. This is a prohibited idea dating back to the days of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance). It is not permissible to practice, follow or spread these ideas. It is even more misleading and misguiding to Muslims to spread such ideas in newspapers, as they involve claiming to know Ghayb (the Unseen), which is the sole Right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) Who says,
Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allâh, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.” [Surah Al-Naml, 27: 65]

Allah also says,
“And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.” [Surah Al-An`am, 6: 59]

Allah even denied that His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew the Ghayb. Allah says,
“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allâh, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.” Say: “Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take thought?” [Surah Al-An`am, 6: 50]

He (Glorified be He) says,
“And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allâh, nor that I know the Ghaib (Unseen), nor do I say I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allâh will not bestow any good on them. Allâh knows what is in their inner-selves (as regards belief, etc.). In that case, I should, indeed be one of the Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, oppressors).” [Surah Hud, 11: 31]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Anyone who acquires a branch of the knowledge of astrology has acquired a branch of magic (of which they acquire more as long as) they continue to do so.”
There are many Ayahs (Qur’anic verses) and Hadiths in this regard. Muslim scholars unanimously agree on this well-established ruling prohibiting astrology.
Thus, it is the duty of every Muslim seeking the best for themselves and their religion to avoid this form of manipulating people’s minds and beliefs, to fear Allah regarding themselves and their nation and not to spread misleading ideas among Muslims.
On the other hand, Muslim rulers (may Allah grant them success) should prevent this practice and punish those who spread it according to the Islamic prescribed punishment.
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Answer: A human being is not excused due to ignorance if he is able to uplift this ignorance from himself and find someone he could ask. And also (he is not excused) with regard to a matter that is known from the Religion by necessity. And the likes of it must not be obscure – (such as when) a man deals with interest amongst the Muslims. So when it is said to him that this is Haraam (forbidden) he says: “I don’t know, I’m ignorant.” This is not acceptable because this is a matter that is clear to everyone.

However if he were to be in a community that deals with interest, and its example is obscure and hidden from him. And say no one there accepts Islaam for example, so he lives in America and the people there deal with interest, so he thinks that it is lawful, this person perhaps (he will be excused) due to ignorance. So when this person becomes a Muslim and continues to deal with interest, and says: “I don’t know, I’m ignorant” – yes, this person its possible that the likes of this person is excused due to ignorance. Meaning, if the ignorance is with regard to some matter that is precise and obscure – he is excused. As for with regard to the matters that are clear in which there are no obscurities – he is not excused. In the obscure matters that one can be ignorant about, i.e. such as the case with this individual, its possible that this person is excused due to ignorance.

This is like the story that has been reported in the two Saheeh Collections about the man that ordered his family (when he died) to burn his body and disperse his ashes in the sea and in the land, saying: “If Allaah is able to get hold of me, He will indeed punish Me with a severe Torment.” He did this out of ignorance. And what caused him to do this was his fear of Allaah, so Allaah forgave him and had mercy on him. [3]

He did not do it deliberately, thinking that he will not fall under Allaah’s Decree and Judgement in this situation. He neither rejected the resurrection nor did he deny Allaah’s Ability, however he did deny the completeness of the details of Allaah’s Ability because this was the extent of his knowledge. He did not deny this out of arrogance and stubbornness rather he was ignorant and the thing that caused him to do it was his fear of Allaah. So this is an example of an obscure matter, as it relates to him.

As for the clear matters, then what is not acceptable is when: A man lives amongst the Muslims yet he doesn’t pray. So when he is advised, he says: “I don’t know if the prayer is obligatory, I’m ignorant.” This person is not paid attention to. And likewise if he says: “I don’t know if alcohol is forbidden” or “if fornication is forbidden.” This person is not listened to in this regard since these are clear matters.

He asked: O sheikh! whenever I tell my wife about my intention to marry a second wife, she normally threatens me that she will pack her load and leave the house. Please, how will you advice me and her?

Sheikh answered:

O female slave of Allah (the wife)! Fear Allah, for the right of marriage lies with the husband, and it is not for a wife to prevent her husband from taking a second, third or fourth wife.

It is Allah who has ordained this law from above the seven heavens, and He knows what is good for men and women. He has permitted mathna for many benefits, and some of these benefits go to the first wife herself.

The husband could be a miser before, but Allah will make him generous to the first wife after the mathna due to the fact that he must be just to’ the two wives (by spending equally on them). Furthermore, Allah could reward you due to your contentment with the mathna (law of Allah) or even provide the second wife with kids that will be your only source of help in the future. Or maybe your husband dislikes some attitudes in you, and when he takes another wife, he finds out that you are even far better than the new wife, then he may cherish you more.

The most serious part is that, there is a grave danger in you preventing your husband from mathna because Allah can void your deeds, as you have disliked part of what Allah revealed in Quran (Suratul Nisa: 3). And Allah said:

“That is because they disliked what Allah revealed, therefore, He nullified their deeds.”
(Suratul Muhammad:9)

And negating only a verse of the Quran is sufficient to nullify one’s good deeds.

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…May Allah give us a better understanding & guide us to accept the truth